Christmas Village

Since I got married 9 years ago, Thelma and I yearly planned to get a Christmas tree for the long yuletide season we Filipinos are known to celebrate starting with the nine day midnight mass and ending with the three kings’ feast every first Sunday of January.

But time and again, due to procrastination and other imaginary and non-imaginary reasons, we never get to purchase one after endless canvassing and checking on different plastic Christmas tree models.



Christmas 2009 was a bit different as Thelma bought a pair of Christmas-looking decorative houses to set up our own version of Christmas village with the dangerous Christmas lights that did not pass government inspection and approval. Andres, Ponso, and Paco really enjoyed looking at the set-up that added relish to their Christmas joy of waiting for their gifts drinking hot chocolate while the fucked up fake Christmas lights smelled of burnt electrical device ready to burn down our house if left unattended.

A calm and meditative holidays to all of you.

Year End Rites of Passage

Time can be counted by rituals each individual passes in this life.

It was a ritual filled November and December of 2009 so far as the boys passed through different rites of passage in their life's journey.

Francisco Alberto's 1st Birthday

Paco celebrated his first birthday last November 29, 2009. He was walking around the place, just walking, and smiling, and shouting, then crying, then sleeping. A typical routine for a baby like him. The day after his birthday, he woke up, then walked, smiled, shouted, cried, then slept, again. Zen.

Andres Gabriel's 1st Holy Communion

Andres had his first holy communion last December 6, 2009. A very important ritual for Catholics, it is one of the seven sacraments every Catholic can avail for joining the faith. Andres said he felt holy after receiving his God through communion.

Alfonso Pablo is diaper-free

Ponso can now sleep without wearing a diaper. Though he wet the bed again last night (maybe due to the cold temperature), we will give him more chances. Its a big savings, not to buy diapers anymore.